Wichita eagle., 1887-11-23
RAMBLEs ABOUT EUROPE.
From England to Egypt and the Holy
Land Especially for the Eagle

Almost every object Of interest here is
wrought in uncertainty, and one finds
! himself cropping In the dark after the
truth, notwithstanding the labors to elu-
cidate the same by careful archaeolo-
gists. Hundreds of volumes have been
written in the vain effort to establish the
cries that would stand the test of the
Bible account, and in other respects carry
conviction with them. as to the precise
location where the startling events closing
with the ascension of Christ actually took
place, but after all has been said and
done, one is compelled to exercise more
than modicum of blind faith in accept
ing for truth the numerous places pointed
out as genuine. Now take the Holy Sep
ulchre for instance, for the possession of
which rivers Of blood have been shed. In
limited space containing an area Of less
than half that comprised in one of our
city blocks, the great and awful tragedy
Of the crucifixion is located. Here under
one roof-the church Of the Holy Sepul-
chre, is shown the spot
whore the three crosses were
erected, the place of anointment
designated by marble slab, where pill
grims bring material and take the meas
Urement for their own winding sheet:
also the place from which the women
witnessed the ceremony. Beneath the
dome stands the chapel of Angus and the
Holy Sepulchre. The two combined ac-
cupy space Of about 16x22 feet and six
teen feet in height. Entering the first
named chamber, we observe q marble
pedestal near the center, marking the
spot where the Angel rolled the stone
from the door and sat upon it," StO0p-
ing down we enter the chapel built over
the ''Sepulchre that was hewn III stone,
wherein never man before was laid" 1t
is concealed by marble slab laid in the
middle ages, covering a cavity that may
or may not have been tomb cut in the
rock and arched over. But to add
strength TO the claims set xup. other
tombs not concealed from the public eye,
said to be those Of Joseph of A1i1nathea
and Nicodemus close by, are shown, and
if these are genuine. it is strong proof in
favor Of the assertion. To my mind the
convincing testimony rests on the proof.
of whether the Golgotha of St Helena
lay within the walls Of the ancient city
or without. At the present time it is
within the walls OF the city and John
says the place where Jesus was cruel
fed was nigh to the city" and further
along he says that ''in the place where He
was crucitied there was garden, and in
the garden q sepulchre wherein was never
man yet laid" and that there they laid
Jesus. Now it is an undeniable fact
that since the days of Solemn no burials
have been permitted inside the walls.
From the fact that much debris was
found to the west of the church of the
sepUlchre, and but little to the east, con-
illusions are drawn that the old wall must
have run between the city and Golgotha
This would greatly restrict the limits OF
the city, which Jo5ephus says contained
over half million of people at the time
Titus made his attack, and as the walls
at the present time are only two miles
and half IN circumference it is hard to
reconcile this statement Now lust ont
side of the walls is a high hill, called the
New Calvary 1t is shaped something
like a skull. and contains the reputed
tomb of jeremiah and other rock t0abs.
General Gordon spent some eight months
here making Investigations. and before
leaving here to meet a cruel death in the
Upper Nile region, expressed his belief
freely that this was the genuine lit.
Calvary Many others are of the same
opinion, including the American consul.
In connection with tAe GhHrch of the
Holy Sepuichre is the cave. now a
chapel, and beneath this a cistern' where
St. Helena found, some Uhree hundred
and thirty years after thescrdcidxion,
three wooden crosses. In order to dis
cover which was the Saviors, she laid
first one, then the other. on a dead
body. and the true cross was re-
vealed to her when the corpse of
the miraculous touch came to life. 1t was
hewn in pieces and distributed amongst
several churches where it is shown to
this day.
\ gentleman Of the Latin church who
resides here, seeing my unbelief, gave
me to understand that the cross was
made of cypress-a resinouS wood that
would keep III a disuseG. CiStern for cen
turtles. that the material in them was not
skimped SO that on being cut into pieces
the supply would be enough 10 go around. .
Then. to give tone and viEOr 10 his aro1l- /
ment. he advanced the theory that Il
would be quite natural TO gather uD these
crosses and store them away in such a
convenient place. and admitted that it
would. The absUrdities connected with /
this interesting place detract much from
Its otherwise sacred character. For in I
stance. a brass slide about five feet away
from the cross reveals, ON being pushed /
aside, cleft IN a rock. Here. it is said. /
stood the cross of the penitent thief and
the cleft reaches down To the center of !
the earth. They show the grave of Adam /.
and relate that The blood Of Christ flowed
through a cleft in the rock until il
reached his head. thus giving him the
power of resurrection. The skull seen /
i'll pictures Of the CrucifXion has relation .
to tins tradition. During the Easter fes-
uval the Church of the Sep .
ulchre is crowded. and. consid- I.
ing that four different denominations
hold high carnival here, and that stand .
ing room only is t. be had. much con- /
fusion and uproar occurs. In 1884 5000 T.
persons We're here assembled. when 2
riot broke out which called for military
and IL the melee that fol- .
lowed 500 pilgrims lost their lives.
Outside Of the city. by the F..
Zion gate southwark, on the
present site of an American mon
asteUy. once stood the house Of Caiphas. (
the high priest: a closet of small demen-
SionS Is shown where Christ was impris- (
oned. The altar in the chapel contains a
stone which is said TO be the one the
angels rolled away from the door of the
5epulchre, and which like the toe of ST.
Peter at Rome. is worn by frequent kiss
ing. The spot where Peter denied his
Master ami the court where the cock